Device for controlling the admission of fuel into an internal combustion engine



March 12, 1963 F. A. KANE, JR

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE ADMISSION OF FUEL INTO AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Flled July 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FKANK A muz rz F. A. KANE. JR

LING TH March 12, 1963 DEVICE FOR CONTROL E ADMISSION OF FUE INTO AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1961 IHIIIIH INVENTOR. FAANK A. KANE,J/

SE wi A TTOENEY 3,080,858 DEV-ICE FOR CONTROLLING ITHE ADMISSIONOF FUEL IN TO AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I Frank A. Kane, Jr., Stratford, Conn, assignor of onefourth to GirardF. Oberrender, one-fourthto'Emanuel R. Posnacln'bothof New York, and one-fourth to the estate of Frank A. Kane Filed July 5, 1961,-Ser. No. 121,850 .6'Claims. (Cl. 123-192) This invention relates to the control of fuel admission into internal combustion engines, particularly in motor vehicles, this application being a continuation-in-partof the application filed February 18, 1959, Serial No. 794,006 and having matured into Patent No. 3,003,487, dated October 10, 1961. r

'The said prior application relates to a fuel shut-ofi valve operatively connected, through a novel electromechanical system, to the generator and accelerator pedal of an automotive vehicle whereby, upon a releasing action of the pedal during deceleration, the said valve is operatively closedto be opened again upon the pick-up of .speed. The present invention, in a'preferred embodiment thereof, employs the said or similar electro-mechanical system, to produce an increased negative pressure in the float bowl upon deceleration, thereby to obviate the excessive gasoline flow through the carburetors main jet that occurs during the deceleration cycle.

Such excessive flow, it has been found, results from two conditions prevailing during deceleration. Firstly, upon a change from a higher to a lower vehicle speed, there is an inertial flow-over of the liquid fuel from the float ibowl through the main jet into the mixing chamber and main passageway of the carburetor, causing what is sometimes referred to as carburetor drool; Secondly, there is an increased suction in the intake manifold and said main passageway during deceleration, thereby pulling in excessive fuel from the float bowl. Both actions result "in an unduly rich air and gas mixture, with consequent wastage of fuel, unburnt gases emitted from the exhaust and smog-creating conditions.

It is an object of this invention to prevent such undesirable conditions by utilizing, during deceleration, the increased negative pressure within the intake manifold to create a partial vacuum in the float bowl, thereby to prevent the aforesaid condition of carburetor drool, as

Well as to counterbalance the aforesaid increased pull of fuel from the float bowl.

And it is a further objective of my invention to control the said reduction of float bowl pressure during deceleration by means of the aforesaid electi e-mechanical system described in said parent application for controlling line 2-2, showing the air-bleed control valve in: partly open position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 2. taken along linev 3--3.

FIG. 4 is-a schematic diagram showing the floatbowl vacuum control device and the shut-aft device of FIG =1 United States Patent 'tion.

Patented Mar. 12, 1963 2 operatively'connected to an electro-mechanical arrangement of-a relay control device, the generator and the accelerator pedal of an automobile engine, the coactive contacts of the electrical system ofsaid relay device being shown separated.

In t-heform of my invention'illustrated, the intake manifold 5 contains the boss 6 to which the carburetor generally'designated '7 'is secured by the studs 8. Said car- 'buret'o'r which, for the purpose ofthis specification, is semi-schematically illustrated, comprises the casing 9 through which extends the fuel mixture passageway 10 theupper portion 11 of which'constitute's the air entrance and contains the conventional choke valve 12. Below saidvalve '12 is the venturi nozzle 13 communicating with the re'stricted'throat 1-4 of said passageway ll). Extending into said venturi 13 isthe perforated tube 15 the discharge terminal of which is disposed substantially in throat 16 of said venturi, the perforations 17 of said tube 15 communicating with the air chamber 18 of the float bowl 19 in amanner notillustrated but well known to those skilled in the art. Said float bowl contains therein the float 20, valve member 21, fuel compartment'22 and other conventional components that are not herein described and only schematically represented since a detailed description thereof is not necessary for the purpose of this specifica- Communicating with passageway 10 are the low speed orifices 23, 24 and 25, the latter being the idler orifice, these orifices communicating with each other through channel 26 and communicating through channel 27 with said float bowl 19 in Well-known manner. Positioned at "the lower portion of passageway ltl is the throttle valve able between the normal open or inoperative position'illustrated in FIG. 1 and an operative position in closing relation to said orifice 25 whereby no fuel can fiow trorn passageway 26 through said idler orifice into the passageway it} and intake manifold 5. The needle valve 29 is of the type referred to in said application Serial No. 794,006 as Well as in US. Patent No. 2,877,997, it being operated 'by an electrical system to be hereinbelow described, said system being like that described in the said application. In the embodiment illustrated, the bracket 30 slidably supports the head 31 of said needle valve 29, the spring 32 urging the valve outwardly into its open position. In abutting engagement with said head 31 of valve 29 is the spring-loaded adjusting screw 33, the shank of said screw being in threaded engagement with the arm 34 of the lever 35, "the arm 36 of said lever being connected to the spring member 37 attached to the Bowden Wire 38, the latter being operatively connected to the solenoid 39a. 'The arrangement is such that upon an operative actuation of said solenoid, said Bowden wire is pulled upwardly to produce a counter-clockwise rotation of lever 35, whereupon said screw '33' forces the needle valve 2? into closing engagement with. said idler orifice 25. When the solenoid 39a is fde-energized, said needle valve is operatively returned by spring 32 to its normal open position, in the manner described in said application Serial No. 794,066.

In the'float bowl vacuum control aspect of my invention illustrated, 'a solenoid 39 is employed, this being similar in construction to that of said solenoid 39a, the basic details of such construction being set forth below. The solenoid plunger 40 is connected to the valve stem '41 upon which is mounted the valve member 42 slidably being fixedly secured by bracket 46 to said solenoid 39.

The said casing contains a port 47 communicating with the pipe 48, the latter being afl'ixed to the boss 49 of the intake manifold and being in communication with the interior thereof. In the normal inoperative position of solenoid 39, the terminal portion 58 of the valve 42 is in closing relation to said port 47, said valve being raised to an open position when the plunger 40 is raised upon an energization of solenoid 39.

Connected to and in communication with said casing 43 is another pipe 51, said pipe extending through the air-bleed casing 52 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and continuing to the said float bowl 19, the terminal portion 53 of pipe 51, in the particular embodiment illustrated, being connected to the top wall 54 of the float bowl and in communication with the air chamber 18 thereof. Said casing 52 is completely enclosed, except for opening 55 in the lateral wall of the casing, the short vent pipe 56 being attached to said latter wall and being in communication through said opening with the interior 57 of the casing. Extending through the cap 58 mounted over the threaded end portion 59 of said casing is the valve member 60, the particular embodiment illustrated comprising a threaded portion 61 in engagement with the internally threaded end portion 59, an inner valve stem 62, an outer shank 63 and knob 64, the spring 65 around shank 63 being in abutting engagement with said knob 64 and said cap 58. The inner terminal portion 66 of said valve stem is positioned in operative relation to the orifice 67 in the portion of pipe 51 that is disposed within the interior of the casing 52, said orifice 67 being in communication with the vent pipe 56 when the valve memher 60 is in an operatively open position. Since said terminal portion 66 is, in the structure illustrated, of conical configuration, the size of the effective opening at orifice 67 can be readily varied by an adjusting manipulation of knob 64.

The arrangement is hence such that when the solenoid 39 is energized and the valve 42 actuated into an open position, there will be communication between the interior of the intake manifold 5 and the interior 18 of the float bowl 19 through pipes 48 and 51, so that air will be drawn from the float bowl due to the negative pressure prevailing within the said intake manifold. In other words, when there is an increase in manifold vacuum, such as occurs during deceleration, a partial vacuum will be created within the float bowl 19, provided the valve 42 is in its open position. By the electromechanical means shown in FIG. 4, the solenoid 39 is operatively energized during the deceleration cycle simultaneously with the energization of said shut-off control solenoid 39a in the manner set forth in said application Serial No. 794,006, as will more clearly hereinafter appcarwhereby the valve 42 is operatively opened at a predetermined point in said cycle.

The creation of a partial vacuum in the air chamber 18 of float bowl 19 during deceleration has been found to be elfective as a check against the inertial spilling over into the carburetors passageway of gasoline occurring during a sudden slowing down of the vehicle. Moreover, the creation of such a condition of partial vacuum in the float bowl has been found also to offset the excessive drawing in of the fuel through the main jet comprising the tube and venturi 13 that normally occurs during deceleration. In other words, the increase in the degree of vacuum within the intake manifold 5 during the deceleration cyclewhieh causes an increase in the suction in carburetor passageway 10also increases the suction in chamber 18 of the float bowl, thereby eliminating the increased pressure difierential between said passageway 10 and the float bowl that takes place during deceleration in conventional internal combustion engines. The optimum dynamic balance between the float bowl and main mixing passageway can readily be obtained by manually manipulating the knob 64 to adjust the position of air bleed valve 60, since the degree of partial vacuum within the float bowl will depend upon the effective opening of orifice 67.

It has been found that the combined action of the float bowl vacuum control effected by the energization of the solenoid 39 and of the idler shut-off device effected by the energization of said solenoid 39a results in a marked reduction in unburnt exhaust gases such as are caused, in conventional engines, by the unduly rich gas mixture sucked into the intake manifold during deceleration. The simultaneous use of both of said controls in internal combustion engines is accordingly adapted to effect a reduction in smog conditions that result from inefficient action of conventional carburetors during deceleration cycles.

The elect-ro-mechanical apparatus for operating solenoids 39 and 39a is illustrated in FIG. 4. The novel re lay control means of this invention are contained within a casing generally designated 68, such means being operatively connected in parallel to both of said solenoids and the pedal switch 69 adapted to be actuated by the accelerator pedal when the latter is in a predetermined position, all in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Casing 68 contains the relay device 70 comprising the core 71, the spring-loaded switch-actuating armature arm 72 and the relay switch 73, the latter having the two normally separated contacts 74 and 75contact 75 being positioned in coactive relation with the terminal 76 of said arm 72, so that when the arm 72 is operatively drawn down upon the magnetization of core 71, terminal 76 will engage contact 75 and cause it in turn to engage contact 74. In the form of my invention illustrated in FIG. 4, said arm 72 is engaged by spring element 77 mounted on the bracket 78, the arm 72 being normally urged away from contact 75, so that contacts 75 and 76 are normally separated.

Surrounding core 71 is the fine wire coil 79 one end of which is connected to terminal 81 on said bracket 78 and electrically connected by conductor 90 to terminal 82 which in turn is electrically connected by conductor 83 to the resistance 84, the latter being connected to the armature terminal 85 of the conventional voltage regulator 86, said terminal 85 being electrically connected through conductor 87 to the armature of the generator 88. The opposite end of coil 79 is connected to the grounded terminal 80 on the casing 68.

Disposed over core 71 is another coil of relatively heavy wire 89 and of fewer turns than coil 79, the differential electrical characteristics of said coils being predetermined for purposes to be hereinafter set forth. One end of coil 89 is connected to said terminal 81 and then by said conductor 90 to said terminal 82 in series with the generator 88, the other end of coil 89 being connected by conductor 91 to the fixed resistance 92 mounted within casing 68, said resistance being electrically connected by conductor 93 to the terminal 127. It is important to note that in the particular embodiment illustrated coils 79 and 89 are wound about core 71 in opposite directions.

The said relay switch 73 has thereon two terminals, one being terminal 94 electrically connected by conductor 95 to said contact 75, and the other being terminal "96 electrically connected by conductor 97 to said contact 74 ofthe switch. Connected to the terminal 94 is the conductor 98 which leads to the battery circuit terminal 99 on casing 68; and connected to said terminal 96 is the conductor 100 which leads to terminal 101 on the casing 68 connected to which is the conductor 102 leading to the ignition switch 103 which is connected by conductor 104 to the battery 105 one terminal of which is grounded.

The solenoid device 39 contains the solenoid coil 106 within which is operatively disposed the spring-loaded plunger 40 the lower terminal of which is connected to the said valve stem 41. Fixedly mounted upon the plunger 40 and separated therefrom by the insulator 108,

7 passageway operatively communicating therewith and with a carburetor having a float bowl with an air chamber therein, the combination of conduit means communieating between said intake manifold and said float bowl air chamber, a valve member in said conduit means movable between open and closing positions relative thereto, air vent means in said conduit means positioned between said valve member and said air chamber and in constant communication with said air chamber, an electrical generator connected to said engine, whereby the speed of the engine will control the operative speed of the generator, electro-mechanical means comprising a core and two opposing conducting coils operatively disposed thereabout,

the first being a magnetizing coil and the second a demagnetizing coil, an armature arm in operative relation t to said core and movable between two respective limiting positions when said core is operatively magnetized and operatively demagnetized, an electrical circuit connecting said generator to said first coil, another electrical circuit connecting said generator to said second coil, switch means in said latter circuit, actuating means for said switch means, valve-actuating means operatively connected to said valve member and operatively responsive 'to said armature arm in one of its said positions, whereby said valve-actuating means will actuate said valve memher when said arm is operatively actuated by said electromechanical means, the electrical characteristics of said respective coils and their said respective circuits being such that in response to generator voltage above a predetermined. critical magnitude said core will be magnetized to a degree sufficient for magnetically holding said arm, and in response to generator voltage below said critical magnitude said core will be operatively demagnetized, said electrical characteristics being also such that fat the time of the operative closing of said switch means the consequent energization of said second coil will occur when the generator voltage is at a higher magnitude than 'said critical magnitude, said generator being operable at a range of speeds for producing voltage of magnitudes ranging from below to above said critical magnitude.

2. In a fuel control device for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a fuel mixture passageway operatively communicating therewith and with a carburetor having a float bowl with an air chamber therein, a low-speed fuel inlet communicating with said passageway, and a needle valve operatively associated with said fuel inlet and movable between a normally open position and an operative closed position relative to said inlet, the combination of conduit means communicating between said intake manifold and said float bowl air chamber, a valve member in said conduit means movable between a normally closed position and an operative open position relative thereto, electro-mechanical means operatively connected to said needle valve and valve member to move them from their said respective normal positions to their said respective operative positions, whereby upon the energization of said electro-mechanical means said needle valve will be closed and said valve member opened, and means to energize said electro-mechanical means.

3. In a fuel control device for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and a fuel mixture passageway operatively communicating therewith and with a carburetor having a float bowl with an air chamber therein, the combination according to claim 2, said electromechanical means comprising two solenoids with plungers operatively connected to said needle valve and valve member, respectively, two electrical circuits in parallel operatively connected to said respective solenoids, and a source of electrical energy connected to said two circuits.

4. In a fuel control device for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a fuel mixture passageway communicating therewith and with a carburetor having a float bowl with an air chamber therein, and a throttle valve in said passageway disposed between said manifold and the air intake of said passageway, the combination of conduit means communicating between said intake manifold and said float bowl air chamber, a valve member in said conduit means movable between a position in closing relation to said conduit means and another position in open relation thereto, electromechanical actuating means operatively connected to said valve member for moving it from one to the other of its said two positions, and pre-adjusted fixed air vent means in said conduit means positioned between said valve member and said air chamber and in constant communication with said air chamber.

5. In a fuel device, the combination according to claim 4, said air vent means comprising an apertured portion in said conduit means communicating with the atmosphere, a vent-control valve adjustably positioned in relation to said apertured portion, and adjusting means for said valve.

6. In a fuel device, the combination according to claim 4, said air vent means comprising an apertured portion in said conduit means communicating with the atmosphere, a vent-control valve adjustably positioned in relation to said apertured portion, adjusting means for said valve, an air bleed casing through which said conduit means extends, said apertured portion communicating with the interior of said casing, said casing having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, said ventcontrol valve adjustably extending through said casing and having a manually manipulable outer portion and an inner operative portion in adjustable operative relation to said apertured portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4,948,135 Sands Feb. 20, 1934 2,033,019 Weinmann et al. Mar. 3, 1936 2,229,851 Hutford Jan. 28, 1941 2,415,336 Carlson Feb. 4, 1947 3,003,487 Kane et al. Oct. 10, 1961 

1. IN A FUEL CONTROL DEVICE FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING AN INTAKE MANIFOLD AND A FUEL MIXTURE PASSAGEWAY OPERATIVELY COMMUNICATING THEREWITH AND WITH A CARBURETOR HAVING A FLOAT BOWL WITH AN AIR CHAMBER THEREIN, THE COMBINATION OF CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID INTAKE MANIFOLD AND SAID FLOAT BOWL AIR CHAMBER, A VALVE MEMBER IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSING POSITIONS RELATIVE THERETO, AIR VENT MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID VALVE MEMBER AND SAID AIR CHAMBER AND IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID AIR CHAMBER, AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR CONNECTED TO SAID ENGINE, WHEREBY THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE WILL CONTROL THE OPERATIVE SPEED OF THE GENERATOR, ELECTRO-MECHANICAL MEANS COMPRISING A CORE AND TWO OPPOSING CONDUCTING COILS OPERATIVELY DISPOSED THEREABOUT, THE FIRST BEING A MAGNETIZING COIL AND THE SECOND A DEMAGNETIZING COIL, AN ARMATURE ARM IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID CORE AND MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO RESPECTIVE LIMITING POSITIONS WHEN SAID CORE IS OPERATIVELY MAGNETIZED AND OPERATIVELY DEMAGNETIZED, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID GENERATOR TO SAID FIRST COIL, ANOTHER ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID GENERATOR TO SAID SECOND COIL, SWITCH MEANS IN SAID LATTER CIRCUIT, ACTUATING MEANS FOR SAID SWITCH MEANS, VALVE-ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER AND OPERATIVELY RESPONSIVE TO SAID ARMATURE ARM IN ONE OF ITS SAID POSITIONS, WHEREBY SAID VALVE-ACTUATING MEANS WILL ACTUATE SAID VALVE MEMBER WHEN SAID ARM IS OPERATIVELY ACTUATED BY SAID ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS, THE ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID RESPECTIVE COILS AND THEIR SAID RESPECTIVE CIRCUITS BEING SUCH THAT IN RESPONSE TO GENERATOR VOLTAGE ABOVE A PREDETERMINED CRITICAL MAGNITUDE SAID CORE WILL BE MAGNETIZED TO A DEGREE SUFFICIENT FOR MAGNETICALLY HOLDING SAID ARM, AND IN RESPONSE TO GENERATOR VOLTAGE BELOW SAID CRITICAL MAGNITUDE SAID CORE WILL BE OPERATIVELY DEMAGNETIZED, SAID ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS BEING ALSO SUCH THAT AT THE TIME OF THE OPERATIVE CLOSING OF SAID SWITCH MEANS THE CONSEQUENT ENERGIZATION OF SAID SECOND COIL WILL OCCUR WHEN THE GENERATOR VOLTAGE IS AT A HIGHER MAGNITUDE THAN SAID CRITICAL MAGNITUDE, SAID GENERATOR BEING OPERABLE AT A RANGE OF SPEEDS FOR PRODUCING VOLTAGE OF MAGNITUDES RANGING FROM BELOW TO ABOVE SAID CRITICAL MAGNITUDE. 